'Can't and Must'

Chloe Fall-Winter 2010

I stared at myself in the mirror of the Zara dressing room on 5th Avenue, wondering if the Barnum & Bailey circus would consider hiring me as a clown wearing a pair of Zara navy linen pants.

The spring arrivals in the shop window had beckoned me inside the store and I couldn’t stop myself from heading to the dressing room once I saw a pair of high-waisted pants, low-slung in the crotch and tapered at the bottom on the rack. For a couple seasons now, I’ve been eye-balling this cut, admiring its seeming comfort and effortless chic. With a button-down blouse it was stylish for the office, but with a tank top it was off-duty coolness.

At that moment, I had ruled that I was unlike models Karlie Kloss or Sasha Pivovarova who wore the same style trousers for the Chloe Fall-Winter Collection in Paris – I was neither 5”10 or gifted with long slim legs. Unless designed specifically for a more petite frame, this style would not do.

Checked off of my spring must-have list was the pair of the slouchy pants, and these are the first two that remain:

Tye-dye on the Spring-Summer '09 runways

1. Tye-dye

Just last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting a swimwear fashion editorial with photographer Troy Paul in an industrial area a few blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge overlooking the water. Whether it was shopping for a tye-dye one-piece bathing suit from Victoria’s Secret or a pair of tye-dye shorts from T-Bags for the shoot, it was easy to spot the print because it was virtually everywhere. And I mean everywhere.

It is the surest print to achieve the surfer girl look: laid-back, spirited and always sexy.

Stripes on celebrities

2. Stripes

It springs to mind my romantic image of the Breton from Bretagne – the French province best known for its Normandy beaches and its sea-faring people who have made the eponymous maritime uniform a major trend. ‘Breton stripes’ date back to the mid-1800s when the striped knit shirt was the official navy uniform for all Frenchman, especially for those from Northern France.

But enough about history – pair this striped shirt over dark pants, skirts and jeans for a nautical look, or experiment by mixing it with another print or sporting it underneath a romper.

For more on my must-have list, don’t miss the next post!

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of the stolenorchild.com; styleforblondes.com; www.stylebakeryteen.com

'I've Got Spring Fever'

With thoughts of gingerbread houses and mistletoe banished from our minds, there is one thing to look forward to this time of your: the Spring-Summer 210 Collections.

From tribal and military green to boudoir and body-con, this Spring has exciting styles to suit your every mood. Here are my top first two. Look for later installments to find out more!

Boudoir Faire

Clouds of chiffon. Tufts of lace. Designers like Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana venture to the bedroom, proving that innerwear can be even sexier as outwear.

High-waisted culottes and lace-infused satin slips might resurface in stores as the runways of Tuleh, Nina Ricci, Victor & Rolf and Etro played with sleepwear and lingerie elements. At Prada, silk short bottoms in a tropical blue island print matched a cropped jacket and jewel encrusted satchel. Tuleh topped the tiny bottoms with a bow and floral-applique corset. The combinations - and unexpected colors and prints now (think red leopard or mosaic prints) make boudoir dressing a daytime option.

Tribal Society

Be it the Orient or the Sahara, spring fashion celebrates its ‘tribal rite’ to animal prints, earth tones, intricate geometric patterns, and feathers.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac used raffia to create what looked more like a large African tribal mask fit for dance around a bonfire than a black and acid green halter dress.

Chances are you will find a linen jacket embellished with small stones browns and blacks – similar to the one at Carolina Herrera. Or for the more bald-faced, Malandrino has a flouncy one-sleeve dress that three different patterns in bright pink and purple.

My suggestion: Don’t overwhelm your look with too many patterns and scale back on the accessories if the print can hold its own.

Below is a look at the Spring-Summer 2010 tribal trend in the November ’09 issue of Vogue. I’m already inspired, thinking about a possible concept for my next fashion editorial shoot…

-S. Gonzalez

*Photo courtesy of style.com and www.fashionising.com